Following on the heels of his critically acclaimed poetry debut, Peter Norman’s second full collection is as funny and chilling as it is well-crafted. Here, the reader will find mad sonnets, outrageous prose poems, anagrammatic acrobatics, dark tributes, found poems, and many other experiments in form and story-telling. Centrepieces include the epic “Dr. F Attends a Show,” a twisted homage to Margaret Atwood, and the long poem “The Flood,” an athletic journey rich in both humour and tragedy.

ON PETER NORMAN’S AT THE GATES OF THE THEME PARK

“To me these poems are fables of wonder, bemusement, surprise, trepidation, and the striking images themselves are the characters and plot devices which make up the fabulist yet actual experience of our modern world.”
— Gary Barwin, Serif of Nottingblog

“[At the Gates of the Theme Park] is not simply a demonstration of technique; it is also a deeply enjoyable, humane debut that deserves a wide audience.”
— Jeff Latosik, Open Book Toronto

“I must chime in with my admiration for Norman’s ‘At the Gates of the Theme Park.’ His taut, self-deprecating, inventive takes remind me of Simic: poems that flatter the reader’s intelligence.”
— Matthew Tierney, Matterstuff